This will be our last look at the WWWF for 1978. Next year, we will see the return of Ivan Putski and newcomers to the territory like Ted DiBiase and Tito Santana. Some villains like Hussein Arab (a.k.a. the Iron Sheik), Greg Valentine, the Valiant Brothers, and HULK HOGAN will also be appearing. I believe 1979 will be a much more interesting year for Bob Backlund as he’s now run through some of Bruno’s old opponents that are still active to put him over. Once he’s finished feuding with Peter Maivia, Backlund will move on to face Greg Valentine in some classic encounters. Pat Patterson will be his top challenger for the entire summer while the cowboy from Austin Texas, Bobby Duncum, will be a thorn in Backlund’s side to wrap up 1979. I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT, FOLKS.

Baron Mikel Scicluna & Moose Monroe vs. SD Jones & Dave Darrow

I think we all know who will be taking the fall here. Darrow gets choked and beaten for most of the match. Maybe he’s into it, I don’t know. However, SD tags in and twists the arm of MOOSE. In comes the Baron, SD scares him with his quick fists. He takes too much time asking the fans if he should stomp the arm and the heels take back control. Good job, Mr. Jones. Back over to MOOSE, SD tags out and Darrow is about to pick up where things left off for him. MOOSE and Scicluna break him down for several minutes. Darrow comes back and ties Monroe in the ropes. Tag to Jones, he goes HEADBUTT CRAZY. Back to Darrow for some reason, Scicluna kicks him down and knee drops the poor sap for the three-count. (9:02) Way too long without much of a story. SD has to be the worst of partners. He either loses the match or does little to help you out. Not GOOD. ½*

Ivan Koloff (w/Captain Lou Albano) vs. Steve King

It’s about to get INTENSE. Koloff tears into this guy like a windmill in a tornado. It’s just bad news. He throws King to the floor where Albano can get in some licks. King tries to get cute with Captain Lou, but gets pounded back. In the ring, King catches Koloff with a dropkick that doesn’t phase the guy. Koloff delivers a nasty backbreaker and starts dropping knees on the back. He hits a backdrop, but refuses to pin the man. There’s a gutbuster, but again Koloff isn’t ready to pin him. Now a breaker, but Koloff lifts him up at the count of two. There’s a THIRD backbreaker and that sets up the BOMBS AWAY for the win in 4:48.

Vince McMahon meets with Dino Bravo at ringside for an interview. They discuss Dino doing quiet charity work at local hospitals, being challenged at the gym, and encourages fans to better themselves. WHAT A HUMBLE GUY.

No idea on the official date since there’s not complete results for those years. Antonino Rocca is on commentary with Vince. Ladd cheats with his taped right thumb and he was doing that around 1975 or 1976. The BOOM DROP ends Flores in just 3:10.

“High Chief” Peter Maivia (w/Freddie Blassie) vs. Mike Paidousis

Maivia gets aggressive with the face raking and choking. Paidousis fires back with a forearm smash and I guess he isn’t going to roll over for the TOP HEEL IN THE COMPANY. Maivia goes into his tights and rubs something in the guy’s eyes. Paidousis thinks turnbuckle smashes will affect Maivia, but they don’t. However, Paidousis continues to stand tall with Maivia and that just isn’t going to happen. Maivia winds up taking the guy down with a pair of headbutts and puts his weight over Paidousis to get the three-count. (5:15) DUDE, you’re an old man here to do a job. That’s it. You aren’t going to make it in 1978. Even after the bell when Maivia is getting some added stomps in on him, he STILL tries to come back on him. Ugh. ¾*

Bob Backlund vs. Crazy Luke Graham (w/The Grand Wizard)

Capetta reminds us this is a non-title bout. At the beginning of the show when discussing the main event, Bruno made his feelings known he didn’t think Graham was much of a threat to Backlund. He resorts to brawling tactics against Graham to start. Backlund would never use a clinched fist though. Graham actually is the one to initiate wrestling holds as he applies a hammerlock and headlock. Backlund escapes and delivers a drop toehold, but Graham ends up in the ropes. Backlund grabs a headlock, but Graham reaches the ropes and cheapshots him to apply a chinlock on the mat. Backlund slips out and grabs a chinlock of his own. Graham powers Backlund up on his shoulders and puts him on the top buckle to slap him, but Backlund slaps him instead. Pissed off at himself, Graham walks over to a corner and smashes his head on the buckle. Backlund goes to a single leg takedown and works the leg, but Graham punches him in the throat. Backlund punches back, but whiffs on a dropkick. Here comes the THUMB DROP to Backlund, but he kicks out at two. There’s a WEAK backbreaker, but Graham only gets two. As Backlund comes off the ropes, he ducks a swing and grabs Graham for the ATOMIC DROP to get the win. (7:49) Well I guess if Graham is on his way out, he at least leaves on the highest note he is capable of here. Still nothing great, but made better because of the champ. Backlund grabs a word with Vince putting over the Graham family and loving on the fans. *½

We’ve got Vince and Bruno on commentary. Looks like Albano issued an open challenge for his Yukon Lumberjacks and they got a pair of some real challengers here. Zbyszko and Eric start the match. Eric powers down Zbyszko with an overhead wristlock. Hammerlocks are reversed until Larry Z has enough of that. Eric grabs a headlock, but Zbyszko escapes and punches Eric back. Eric takes Zbyszko over to a corner for a beatdown, but Zbyszko counters a corner whip. He snapmares Eric over and applies a crucifix, but Eric kicks out at two. Albano was ready to jump in the ring there. Tag to Pierre, he works Zbyszko down with a wristlock and pulls the hair to do so. When Zbyszko tries to get up, Pierre runs Zbyszko’s shoulder into the corner. He wraps Larry Z’s arm around the top rope and pounds the shoulder. Back to Eric, he does more of the same. False tag spot ensues. Now Zbyszko is getting TRIPLE-TEAMED. Pierre is the legal man now. Zbyszko tries slamming him out of the corner, but his shoulder is sore. Pierre cuts off the tag and reaches Eric. He pounds Zbyszko and tries to keep him on his side of town, but Zbyszko sneaks past Eric and makes the HOT TAG TO GAREA. FISTS OF FIRE. Unfortunately, he runs into a knee in the corner. Tag to Pierre, Garea gets double-teamed and that brings in Zbyszko. The lumberjacks try and whip Garea and Zbyszko into one another, but they do-see-do and deliver shots to Albano’s boys. Garea and Zbyszko then whip them into each other for real. They try to whip Pierre into Eric, but Eric drops down only for Pierre to bounce off the ropes and crash into Eric. With Pierre knocked out of the ring, Garea lays on top of Eric to get the three-count for the tag titles. (9:21) Even Albano gets laid out here by Zbyszko. The crowd is losing their minds and ready to join Garea and Zbyszko in the ring – except security is there to stop them. This was GOOD formula tag stuff. Pierre sticks around for another month doing jobs at house shows. As for Scott Irwin, he heads down to work in Florida and becomes the Super Destroyer. Smart man. Who wouldn’t want to work Florida when it’s December? **½